The Reichenau glosses to the Vulgate Bible of St. Jerome are called
so because they formerly belonged to the abbey of Reichenau, on an island
in Lake Constance, Germany. It is supposed that they are compiled in the
8th century.

The vocabulary of the Reichenau glosses appears to be French in flavour
(e.g., arenamsand glossed by
sabulo,
French sable; vespertilionesbats,
by calvas sorices, French chauvesouris), and some words of
Frankish origin appear (e.g., scabrones beetles
is glossed by wapceswasps,
respectantthey
look about by
rewardant).

The glosses provide some evidence of morphological simplification
(e.g., saniore healthier is glossed
by plus sano more healthy and cecinit
he
sang by cantavit), but for the most part only lexical
items are regarded as meriting comment.

I.
Manuscript of Karlsruhe 115

A. List of Words that are to
replace the corresponding Classic Latin words in French:

onustus pro carcatus (carricatus, OF chargié)

binas pro duas et duas (F deux et deux, deux
à deux)

profertus pro alatus factus

transgredere pro ultra alare

opilio pro custos ovium vel berbicarius

aper pro salvaticus porcus

fusiles pro fundutas (F fondues)

gecor (jecur) pro ficato (ficatum; OF feie, foie)

offendas pro abatas (OF abates af)

oves pro berbices (verveces; OF berbis, F brebis
sheep)

mares pro masculi (F mâles)

oppidis pro castellis vel civitatibus (F châteaux,
cités)

hiems pro hibernus (F hiver)

forum pro mercatum (F marché)

emit pro comparavit (OF comparer to
buy)

mercator pro comparator

femur pro coxa (F cuisse)

arena pro sabulo (F sable)

cecinit pro cantavit (F chanta)

canere pro cantare (F chanter)

si vis pro si voles (F si [tu] veux)

pallium pro drappum (F drap, of Gaulish origin)

lamento pro ploro (F pleurer)

liberos pro infantes (F enfants)

ictus pro colpus (F coup, of Gk origin)

ensis pro gladius (F glaive)

uvas pro racemos (F raisins)

sortilegus pro sorcerus (F sorcier)

tedet pro anoget (inodiat, F ennuie)

viscera pro intralia (F entrailles)

vespertiliones calvas sorices (F chauves-souris bat)

coturnix pro quaccola (caille quail)

B. Words implying a series
of analogies:

singulariter pro solamente (F seulement): -mente
is already used as an adverbial suffix